Fireproof building.



No. 876,171. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908. P. W. GRASZYNSKI. FIRBPROOFBUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29.1907.

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PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

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8y ra P. W. GRASZYNSKL. FIREPROOF BUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1907.

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No. 876,171. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908. P. W. GRASZYNSKI. FIREPROOPBUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZQ. 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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PAUL WILHELM GRASZYNSKI, OF TEMPELHOF, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY.

FIREPROOF BUILDING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

Application filed May 29. 1907. Serial 110.376.3234.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL l/VILHELM GRAsZYNsKr, engineer, a subject ofthe German Emperor, residing at Tempelhoi", near Berlin, Germany,Dorfstrasse 19/20, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ina Fireproof Building, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-proof buildings such as theaters, concerthalls and other assembly rooms.

The object of the invention is to provide a fire-proof building ofsimple construction having an assembly room with two fixed floorssuperposed one over the other and both provided with openings the higherof which is normally filled out by a movable floor adapted to be loweredinto the opening of the under-floor and connected with slides which areautomatically moved in said higher opening when the movable floor islowered and so shut off the assembly room from the under-floor in a fireand smoketight manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide galleries in theassembly room of a fireproof building, which are provided with ourtainsadapted to be lowered downwardly for closing also the galleries in afire-proof and smoke-tight manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide actuating devices for themovable floor and the curtains of the galleries, which are electricallyoperated for the purpose of enabling the curtains and the movable floortogether with the slides for the higher flooropening to be actuated inunison.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a theater showing the twofloors and the galleries of the assembly room in the normal position andappearance before the outbreak of a fire. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection through the same theater showing the movable floor lowered andthe galleries closed after the outbreak of a fire. Fig. 3 is in anenlarged scale a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic side view of a protecting slide and its actuating device.Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of a slide combined with auxiliary slides,which are represented in two positions. Fig. 7 is a cross sectionthrough a gallery showing the position of the curtain.

Fig. 8 is a plan View of a gallery-curtain showing a part of its windingdevice. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view showing the connection of aslide with the movable floor and Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic plan view ofa device for moving the movable lloor.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the movable floorprovided with the stalls, and 2 the fixed iloor underneath. A part 2 ofthe fixed floor is also movable and connected with the movable floor 1by means of columns 3. The whole construction 1 and 2 rests upon severalpiston rods or spindles 3 which in the height of the lower floor 2 areincased by the hollow columns 3.

In Figs. 13, the spindles 3 are adapted to be moved up anddown togetherwith the floors 1 and 2 by a hydraulic device. By this means the floor 1of the stalls with the spectators, in case there is danger from fire, islowered to the level of the lower floor 2, whereupon the spectators mayleave the house without any danger. In order that, as the higher floor 1is lowered the spectators in the stalls shall be isolated from the fireby an upper rotective ceiling, I provide the slides 6 whicii areconnected positively with the upper floor 1 by wires 5, chains or thelike so that they will move together. The wires 5 are provided on itsone end with counterweights 1. The slides 6 are made fire-proof,

consisting for instance 01 iron with an asbestos covering, and arearranged in an immovable hollow part 7 of the higher Iloor and the lobbyS.

The diagrammatic view in Fig. 4 shows that upon the wire 5 is provided acatch 9 which strikes against a tappet 10 of each slide 6 and begins tomove the slide 6 to the middle oi the spectators room only when theupper floor 1 of the stalls has already been lowered about two meters.As soon as the movable floor 1 has been lowered to the level of thelower floor 2, all the slides lie in the space previously occupied bythe upper movable floor 1, and shut oil the interior of the spectatorsroom from the space on the floor 2. Inversely, for carrying away theslides in the lifting of the floor 1, so that they may not be in the wayduring the upward movement of the said floor to its upper or normalposition, I provide for instance an arm 11 pivoted to the catch 9 of thewire 5 and provided with a roll 12 running in a fixed guide 13. Theinward movement of each slide 6 commences when the catch 9 of itsactuating wire strikes against its tappet 10. ment of the roll upon theguide 13 provided with a rising part 14 a nose 15 on the arm 11 engagesthe front of the tappet 10. In the withdrawal of the slide this nose atonce carries the tappet backward and consequently the slide but releasesthe same when the roll passes through the part 14 of the guide, so thatthe wire 5 with the catch 9 and arm 11 can continue to move freely inaccordance with the movement of the floor of the stalls. If necessarythe movement of the slide may be retarded or accelerated by suitablegearing.

In Fig. 9 is represented the manner in which a slide may be constructedand positioned in the hollow floor 7, of the building. It is assumedthat the slide rests upon rollers 30, and the guide 13, 14 is supportedby brackets 33 secured on the base 32. For the wire 5 guide rollers 31are provided.

By reason of the position of the supports 16 in the outer wall 17 and ofother supports for the circles (Fig. 3) there are narrow slits 18between the slides 6, which slits are not closed up by the main slide.In order to insure a complete closure these narrow slits must be closedup by auxiliary slides. As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the main slides6 are furnished for this purpose with two small lateral supplementaryslides 6, which, as soon as the slides 6 have passed the supports 16,are moved laterally by shears 19 moving on the one end rollers 20 movingin a fixed guide 21 and pivoted at the other end to the slides 6. Theguide 21 is provided with a forked end 21 so that when the rollers 20 ofthe shears 19 enter this fork the shears spreads out and moves theslides 6 sidewise.

It is expedient to use the hollow floor of the lobby 8 as an airchannel. \Nith this ar rangement the spectators are supplied with freshair from all sides directly the lowering commences so that they will beprotected against any smoke there maybe already present. If there is anorchestra room it is lowered as well as the floor of the stalls, asshown at 22.

In case the floor of the stalls has boxes the occupants thereof will beprotected in the same manner as those in the circles and prosceniumboxes. This is effected by letting down fireproof iron screens orcurtains 23 in front of the several circles. supported within theparapets 24, which for the protection of the spectators project far infront of the parapets of the circles. They are so arranged that eachcircle is shut off in a fire and smoke tight manner from the innerspectators room. Each curtain 23, when lowered as indicated in Fig. 2,extends downwardly a distance representing the distance from one galleryto the next lower gallery.

WVhile the boxes in the proscenium may have single curtains, a curtainfor a circle consists of many narrow strips which are The curtains areDuring the move- By the turning of a common shaft 27 (Fig.

8) which on account of the curvature of the spectators room consists ofshort sections coupled together in any suitable manner, all the curtainsof a circle are lowered and raised in auniform manner. As shown in Fig.8, the several curtain strips 23 may be attached to cords or hands 28which according to the direction of the turning movement of the shaft 27are wound upon or from the rolls or pulleys 29 fixed upon the saidshaft. The lifting and lowering are effected by motors 30 of well knownconstruction, such as for instance by electromotors with a Windlass,which are arranged within the stage house and at one or more suitablepoints in the spectators house.

All the motors for the protecting curtains are set in operation inunison by switches provided at any desired points within the house,preferably at the firemens places. Each of these switches may be usedfor setting the protecting device in operation so that the curtains willdrop down. It is immaterial whether only one or more switches are moved.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact details of constructionherein set forth, as I may utilize any equivalents thereof, provided thesame are within the scope of my invention. In order to demonstrate thisI have shown in Fig. 10 in which manner all the spindles 3 may be movedby a single electric motor. The spindles are provided with worm gear 34meshing with worms 35 on shafts 37 and 38, the shaft 37 being connectedby sprocket chains 39 with a third shaft 36, and by sprocket chains 40with the shaft 38. The electric motor 41 is connected by gearing 42 withthe shaft 37, and the said shaft is provided with a brake wheel 43 oerated by a brake lever 44 actuated by an e ectromagnet.

The electric circuit of the motor 41 may be dependent either upon aswitch arranged together with switches for the curtain motors, or upon aswitch adapted to connect also the circuits of said curtain motors.

For increasing the security of operation it is essentiaL'that all theelectrical arrangements of the actuating devices for the curtains andthe movable floor should be included in special circuits separated'fromthe others.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. In a fire-proof building the combination of an assembly room withtwo fixed floors superposed one over the other and. both provided withopenings, a movable floor in the opening of and normally registeringwith the higher fixed fioor and adapted to be lowered into the openingof the underfloor, a counter-weight device for said movable floor, atappet fixed upon said counterweight device, an arm provided with anose, said arm being pivoted to said. tappet, a fixed guide adapted toguide said arm and havinga rising part, slides adapted to be moved intothe opening of the higher floor when the movable floor is lowered forshutting oil? the assembly room from the under-floor in a fireproof andsmoke tight manner, a tappet on each slide, said tappet being adaptedfor engagement by the tappet of the counter weight device when said armis in the rising part of the fixed guide, to move the slides to theclosing position, the nose of said arm engaging the tappet of the slidewhen the movement of the counter-weight device is reversed.

2. In a fire-proof building, the combination of an assembly roornwithsuperposed fixed floors, each provided with an opening, a movable floornormally registering with the opening of the upper fixed floor andadapted to be lowered into the opening of the lower floor, slidesconnected with said movable floor and adapted to be moved into theopening of the upper fioor when the movable lloor is lowered whereby toshut off the upper fioor from the lower floor, supplementary slides inconnection with the said slides, and means for moving said supplementaryslides laterally with respect to the said first named slides when saidfirst named slides are moved.

3. In a fire-proof building, the combination of an assembly roomwith twosuperposed fixed floors, each provided with an opening, a movable'l'loor normally registering with the opening of the upper floor andadapted to be lowered into the opening of the lower floor, slidesconnected with said movable lloor and adapted to be moved into theopening of the upper Iloor when the movable lloor is lowered whereby toshut oIl' the upper fioor from the lower lloor, supplementary slides inconnection. with the first named. slides, and means for laterallydisplacing the supplementary slides when the first named slides aremoved, said means comprising shears having one end pivoted to thesupplementary slides, and a fixed guide for engagement by the otherendof the shears.

4. In a [ire-proof building, the combination of an assembly room withtwo superposed fixed floors, each provided with an opening, a movablefloor normally registering with the opening of the upper lloor andadapted to be lowered into the opening of the lower fioor, slidesconnected with said movable floor and adapted to be moved into theopening of the upper fioor when the movable floor is lowered whereby toshut oil the upper Iloor from the lower floor, supplementary slides inconnection with the first named slides, 'means for moving said slideslaterally with respect to the first named slides when said first namedslides are moved, a gallery above the upper lloor, curtains mountedabove the gallery and adapted to be lowered to shut ofi the gallery fromthe interior of the building, and a common actuating device for saidmovable fioor and said curtains whereby to operate said Iloor andcurtains in unison.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

PAUL WlIillEhlll GRASZY NSKI.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY Hasrnn, WoLDEMAR IIAUPT.

